Hedge Funds Increase New York Times Stake

Wall Street Journal – Harbinger Capital Partners and Firebrand Investments LLC, the hedge funds that put two representatives on the board of the New York Times Co. this past spring, are again adding to their stake in the media company.

Through share purchases and a series of equity swaps, Harbinger Capital Partners and Firebrand Investments added economic exposure to 1.9 million Times shares in August, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Harbinger and Firebrand increased their Class A stake in the Times to nearly 20% this spring, and shortly after gaining board representation, the funds stopped buying shares. After four months of silence, however, Harbinger disclosed that it is again adding to its stake, mostly through equity swaps.

By entering into the swaps with an unnamed counterparty, Harbinger and Firebrand effectively gained economic exposure to an additional 1.7 million Class A shares. The funds also bought 200,000 shares outright for $13 a share.